Trabekeln

Trabekeln is a biological term describing the formation or presence of trabeculae, a network of small beams or plates that provide structural support within various tissues. The word derives from Latin trabecula, a diminutive of trabes meaning beam.

In anatomy and histology, trabeculae create a porous, three-dimensional lattice that strengthens soft tissues without excessive weight. The most well-known example is cancellous (trabecular) bone, where thin bony plates form a meshwork that distributes mechanical loads and participates in mineral exchange. The arrangement of trabeculae in bone reflects habitual stresses and changes with growth, aging, and disease; remodeling by osteoblasts and osteoclasts continually reshapes the network.

Trabeculae are also found in other organs. In the heart, trabeculae carneae are muscular ridges on the inner walls of the ventricles that help organize blood flow. In the spleen and lymphoid organs, trabeculae extend from the capsule or connective tissue framework to partition tissue into compartments, supporting immune cell distribution and vascularization.

Clinical relevance arises when the trabecular network is disrupted. In osteoporosis and other metabolic bone diseases, trabecular thickness and connectivity decline, reducing bone strength. Imaging approaches, such as histology or specialized metrics like the trabecular bone score, assess microarchitectural integrity to aid diagnosis and monitoring.